


Scotty Finds Out

by poppetawoppet



Series: baby lock dem doors [2]
Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Crack, Gen, baby lock dem doors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-19 16:07:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4752524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poppetawoppet/pseuds/poppetawoppet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a sequel</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scotty Finds Out

Scotty doesn't mind being the only guy in the room. He's pretty comfortable almost anywhere, so school isn't an issue even now. Plus they pretty much do their own thing, so it's not like he has to talk to Lauren or Thia.

(It's sort of weird, because he's not sure what to think of them. He likes them, but half the time it's like he's gained two sisters, and the other half it's a cross between awe of their talent and the tiniest bit of a crush on them.)

Today is kind of quiet. They've made it through the first results show, but both Lauren and Thia are subdued. Soon enough, it's time to leave for more show stuff.

"Lauren, would you stay for a moment?"

Scotty waves at her as he and Thia walk out. They don't really talk as they head towards the front door to go to whatever meeting is scheduled.

"Shoot," Scotty says, "I left my phone in the classroom."

He turns to go back down the hallway, not hearing Thia telling him to wait.

Later, after it's all over, he wonders what would have happened if he had heard her.

He doesn't even knock, planning on giving a sheepish smile and an apology if he's interrupting anything really important. He doesn't even get the door opened all the way.

"You should have waited," Thia says quietly.

Scotty turns from the door. "What?"

"Didn't even hear me, did you?"

"What?"

"Come on. We can talk in the car. Everyone's noisy enough anyway."

Scotty shakes his head. "I—"

"Not now. Come on."  
Scotty follows, too confused to argue. He hadn't seen much, except some weird men in white coats and machinery, and Lauren and—if he didn't know any better, he would have said robotics, but he didn't think it was that advanced. He'd been hearing things about people who purposely replaced parts of themselves, but never to any great degree.

He sits in the back of the car, purposely not looking as Lauren gets in. Thia sits next to him, pulling out a magazine and pretending to flip through it. The car gets going, and the noise level triples, with singing and laughing, and James defending whatever wrestling thing went on yesterday.

"We're being watched, so we have to be careful."

Scotty sits up a little, but he doesn't turn from the window. "Okay."

"I've always known. My parents were pretty honest about the fact that I'm mostly machine. That I'm programmed for one thing, and I'm required to excel at it."

Scotty turns to her then, he can't stop himself. "I don't understand."

"You don't know obviously. I wasn't too sure until after Hollywood week when they fixed you."

Scotty blinks.

"Look back at the window and pretend to watch the scenery," Thia says, and looks back at her magazine. "I'm going to make this short, because it's not really a long car ride. Basically, you and I, and Lauren, we're all cyborgs. I have my suspicions on some of the rest of us, but don't have any concrete proof."

"But why?"

"Variety of reasons. I know Lauren's parents, and mine, well; they wanted us to be successful. I don't know your parents, so I can't say for sure. But I know you're more human than me, so I bet it was to save your life rather than to help you succeed in the business."

"I—"

"Anyway, Lauren had some sort of hardware problem, so they were fixing it. That's why they asked her to stay behind. You never remember updates, if they don't want you to."

"But you cried."

Thia laughs. "Well, I'm still partly human, but that was definitely programming. I'm set for a certain path, and being the somewhat vulnerable teenager who is consummately professional otherwise is mine."

Scotty's mind is reeling. He's trying to figure out how to process it all.  
"I still don't understand. Doesn't having us in the competition make it unfair?"

"Who said it was fair? Anyway, I have a feeling someone high up is trying to get something out of us. Maybe a referendum on robot rights, I don't know."

Scotty sighs. "You aren't telling me everything."

Thia is silent for a moment, and then puts a hand on his arm. "Don't. I know we're practically the same age, but you really don't want to know. Or want to get involved. It might be best if you just pretend you saw nothing today, and that this is just a singing competition."

Scotty turns to her for a minute. "Okay. But stay safe, okay? And if you need someone to do guy things. Or you know, look into some of the guys."

Thia shakes her head. "I'm fine. Really. Just enjoy your life. You're lucky enough you might survive everything."

Scotty raises his eyebrows, but doesn't say anything. He looks down at his hands for a moment, wondering just how much of him is machine. He leans against the window and closes his eyes, but all he can see is the classroom.

He's not sure he can forget, or pretend anything is normal.

Then the van stops, and he's too busy to think anymore. But it stays in the back of his mind for a long time. 


End file.
